An administrative law judge advocated that a Sacramento company be allowed to store natural gas in a sandstone formation 3,800 feet below a southeast area neighborhood on Tuesday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Administrative Law Judge Richard Smith said that the economic, legal, social and other benefits justify approval of the project, despite significant and unavoidable environmental effects such as potential natural gas leakage or potential groundwater contamination.
Credit: Sacramento Natural Gas Storage
The site in question is a depleted natural gas reservoir, the former Florin Gas Field. It lies below 379 acres of land with more than 700 homes in the Avondale Glen Elder neighborhood. The Sacramento Natural Gas Storage LLC plans to store 7.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas there.
According to company reports, about three-fourths of homeowners have signed leases authorizing gas storage under their properties in exchange for $500 and annual lease payments.
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